What’s the Best All-Purpose Cleaner for Everyday Messes?

What's really the purpose of an all-purpose cleaner? They're best used to wipe down nearly any nonporous surface in the home, including treated wood, glass, stainless steel, and porcelain. Their formulas are normally meant for small, everyday clean-ups, like wiping down kitchen countertops and the dining table, and perhaps even your bathroom sink. Some all-purpose cleaners have disinfectant properties, which means that they are more effective at killing germs and viruses, and are better suited for deeper cleaning in the kitchen and bathroom. Check out these all-purpose cleaners to see which one is best aligned with your household's needs!

Puracy's All-Purpose Cleaner is a biodegradable, plant-based solution comprised of nontoxic ingredients. Though it doesn't have antibacterial benefits, this cleaner is safe to use in households with small kids and pets, and doesn't produce any potent smell when sprayed. It's ideal for wiping down oft-used countertops in the kitchen, bathroom, and living room on a daily basis, but not for deep cleaning.

This alcohol-based multisurface solution is one of the very few on the market that thoroughly disinfects without the use of harsh chemicals, while being safe to use directly on food-prep areas (including on cutting boards), as well as on kids' and pets' toys. It kills some of the most harmful bacteria and germs like e.coli, salmonella, and norovirus in just 30 seconds, giving you total peace of mind when deep-cleaning every room of the house.

This product has even earned the Design for the Environment certification from the EPA for its low impact on the environment. While it's not recommended for use on wood or unsealed granite surfaces, it sanitizes virtually any other hard or soft surface in the home.

Those who live with asthma or are incredibly sensitive to chemical cleaners should consider Seventh Generation's Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner in lieu of more potent products. This disinfectant can be sprayed in the bathroom, kitchen prep areas that come into contact with raw meat, and on children's toys to kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses.

If a nice scent is incentive enough to reach for the all-purpose cleaner more often, opt for this one. Method's All-Surface Cleaner comes in a variety of botanical scents, but the Lime & Sea Salt variety really helps your space smell squeaky-clean. It's a nontoxic, cruelty-free product that uses recycled plastic in its packaging, and though it's not as effective at scrubbing off caked-on gunk, it's great for cleaning up spills or sticky surfaces.

This is one all-purpose cleaner that Shark Tank fans will recognize — the founder sprayed it in his mouth on the show to prove how safe it is. But beyond its nontoxic formula, it's a seriously effective product. It's a great stainless-steel cleaner and de-greaser, making it great for cooking prep areas, and it has virtually no smell.

This cruelty-free, all-purpose cleaner from Mrs. Meyer's is well-known among aromatherapy fanatics as being one of the best-scented home cleaners on the market. Though a milder solution, it's great for spiffing up any nonporous surface like finished wood, tile, or stainless steel.

Many of the all-purpose cleaners that we've listed are "natural" products, so even though they may be food-safe and family-friendly, they aren't antibacterial. Lysol's All-Purpose Cleaner is a better choice for the grimier areas of the home, like showers, toilets, and doorknobs, as it kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.

The DIY-ers out there know better than anyone else that most households actually don't need a large arsenal of different products to clean the house. Branch Basics' nontoxic all-purpose cleaning concentrate is a powerful plant- and mineral-based formula, and though it isn't a disinfectant, it does virtually everything else.

When diluted with water, it can be used to clean out your garbage disposal, descale your coffee machine, scrub out the soap scum in your shower, spot-treat carpet stains, remove eye makeup, wash your pets, wipe down your yoga mat, launder your clothes or even degrease a car engine!

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Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorAs Senior Home Editor, Melanie has personally tested countless pillows, sheets, and comforters, and has overseen the decor vertical of BestProducts.com since joining the team in 2015.